Protocol
by mous1elousi3
Summary: One hundred years later, Ichigo returns to Soul Society.


**_A/N: This is partially inspired by a fan-art rendering of Rukia in a captain's haori. That is all. _**

**_Disclaimer: Kubo-sensei's universe, I'm just playing in it. _**

"**Protocol"**

When Rukia could not take Renji's awkward fidgeting any longer, she turned to her fellow captain and snapped, "For goodness sake, Renji, either get rid of the head-tie or leave it or so help me I will shave you bald!"

A stunned silence fell over the assembled party at Sougokyu Hill. Rukia did not have to turn around to know that everyone was looking at them, including her brother. She squeezed her eyes shut; embarrassment and frustration sending heat rushing through her veins and colouring her face and neck crimson. Crap. Then Renji said, "Oh, sorry. It's just that it's kind of humid today and—"

"_I don't care_," she said, softer now, opening her eyes to look back up at him. "Just stop doing it."

Renji immediately dropped his hands to his sides and stood straighter, facing towards the landing site. Rukia turned as well, to find as she expected, Byakuya looking at her with a raised eyebrow. She straightened her stance, lifting her chin up a little, like a proper Kuchiki. Kuchiki knew how to behave at formal events, Kuchiki set the standard for others to follow, Kuchiki bowed to no one…well, save this one time.

Any moment now, the Royal Guard would open the portal between worlds and finally, after one hundred years, Ichigo would be standing before them again. The thought made Rukia's heartbeat pick up the pace a little, which she suppressed with a deep breath, clenching her hands in fists at her sides. One hundred years was too long to be separated from a friend who had not died but had been taken to the King's Realm at the command of the Soul King. It was hard, particularly on his younger sisters, and dear, sweet Orihime, but it was a great honour and Ichigo would have been a fool to refuse it. And yet, may the Soul King forgive her if she felt more than a little sad that he had not.

A steward and attendants had been sent ahead to make preparations for Ichigo's visit. There was a special protocol to follow, of course there was, and for today, it would begin when Ichigo arrived to find the captains and lieutenants of the Gotei Thirteen knelt and bowing to him as his new rank deserved. After introductions were made, he would give a brief speech thanking them for coming to greet him, and then lead the procession down to Seireitei proper, Crown Prince and Captain Commander first, followed by the captains, lieutenants and attendants. There would also be flower petal scattering, incense waving, shouting and drumming, and generally enough noise to clear a path as well as bring the people to see the imperial procession.

Rukia did not miss that the assembled captains all looked a little greener as the time for the former substitute's arrival drew nearer. No one else was allowed to observe this part of the ceremony on the hill but they would be able to greet him later at the formal banquet.

It had broken her heart to explain to Yuzu and Karin that they would not be able to greet their brother first. But then it would be worth it to see the shock on his face later when he realised that both were shinigami now. And had married (for a second time too, in Karin's case, Captain Hitsugaya was outrageously lucky) and Yuzu had descendants in the Living World. And Orihime too, they were going to be so happy to be reunited even though the girl had not been able to wait for him like she promised. (One hundred years is a _long_ time.) For now she would have to take comfort in the fact that if anything was too different about him, she would have time to explain it to them to lessen the shock.

She felt it before she saw the pillar appear, spiritual pressure so immense that it threatened to force the captains to their knees before they could kneel. Then the steward began the formal announcement, listing Ichigo's name and new titles: "His Highness, the Son of Heaven, Lord of All Souls, Former Substitute Shinigami of the Human Realm, Chosen…"

The pillar was almost low enough that Rukia could identify three figures. As one, she and the other captains turned their faces to the ground between them. Rukia forced herself to unclench her hands and keep them stiff at her sides. Her heartbeat picked up even more. What would he look like? Had he grown even taller? Did he have a new zanpakuto again? Did he still remember her?

There was a soft but audible whoosh, a release of air pressure that signalled that the pillar was at ground level. Then the chief steward said, "Captain Commander, if you please."

Commander Kyouraku cleared his throat and said, "Welcome, Your Highness. It's good to see you again."

There was a grunt and someone—_Ichigo_ said, "It's fine to drop the 'Highness' stuff. It's good to see you all again too, Kyouraku-san…um, and captains. Oh, hey Byakuya."

Rukia could have smiled if it would not have broken protocol and of course, the Kuchiki would never do that. Instead she contented herself with imagining her brother's reaction. He must have gone purple, and this time he could not correct Ichigo. But oh, how Ichigo had sounded so much like...well, _Ichigo_. He did not sound as if he had changed a bit, as if a century had not passed since they last stood in this very spot.

The chief steward sighed, the wearied one of the long-suffering and said, "Your Highness, need I remind you once again of the protocols? These were created specifically be—"

Ichigo cut him off. "Tsch, let's just get this over with."

There was a pause, perhaps where the steward collected himself, and said, "Commander, if you will present your captains and their lieutenants?"

"Wait, do we _really_ have to do this part? I think I know everybody here," said Ichigo.

The steward tried to intervene, "Ah but, it's been quite some time since you left; there has been some change in the rank and file. For example, it was unfortunate but they had to promote Captain Ukitake out of the squads. He simply could not carry on with his health so—"

Again, Ichigo cut him off, "Wait, Captain Ukitake's gone? So who's…_Rukia?_"

Despite herself, despite Kuchiki and protocol and all that she had promised herself that she would _not_, Rukia looked up at him and then her mouth fell open.

Ichigo _had_ grown taller, or maybe it seemed that way because it was so long since they last saw each other. His hair had grown out too, falling about his head like it had when he had used his zanpakuto's special power-draining technique, though now he had a little chin-strap goatee and did it ever make him look so _manly_. For once, or whatever, because Ichigo was still an idiot, looking at her with those bright brown eyes and grinning like a fool and not at all like the twenty-something year old Crown Prince of the Spirit Realm that he was supposed to be. And that last part made her snap, "Hey, you idiot, can't you follow the rules for once! We're trying to be respectful here!"

His eyebrows climbed his forehead, eyes going wide at her outburst and Rukia realised her misstep. Aghast, she immediately turned her head to the ground and dropped to her knees, practically shouting, "Forgive me, Your Highness. I have no excuse for my—"

She was cut off by a hand on her arm and when she looked up, Ichigo was smiling down at her. Her heart skipped a beat—how fast he moved, she had not even felt the disturbance—that corresponded to a spike in her reiatsu that she tried to suppress by scowling. His grin widened and he said, "Don't apologise, I _was_ being an idiot. And don't do that kneeling thing either. You don't have to do that."

Her eyes widened and she felt her cheeks grow hot. He let go of her arm to take up a lock of her hair, it fell now past her shoulders, but then released it without comment and took a step back. She self-consciously straightened her hair and dropped her gaze from his face. Then the steward cleared his throat and said, "Your Highness, if we're not going to continue with the presentation, perhaps we should move along to the First Division?"

She could still feel Ichigo's gaze on her bowed head as he replied, "Yeah…sure, let's go." There was a pause, and then he was entirely too close again to say, "Oh, hey, Renji! Who the hell made you a captain? What, did Byakuya get sick or something?"

She sneaked a glance over at Renji, who steadfastly kept his face turned to the ground but looked, from his hunched shoulders and clenched fists, like he wanted to swing around and punch Ichigo. But he would not. He was too well-trained and Ichigo was only teasing.

The steward cleared his throat again and Ichigo released his friend, stepped back again, and said, sighing, "Alright, alright. Let's go."

With that, Ichigo, the steward and the Captain Commander led the way down from Sougokyu Hill. Rukia and the others remained watching behind them until they were out of sight, and then Renji swung around to her and said, grinning broadly, "Can you believe him? He hasn't changed a bit!"

"Yea," said Rukia, weakly, willing her heart to stop racing. She could still feel the pressure of his hand on her arm and then in her hair. How many times had they had one of their reunions? Had they ever felt like this? No, certainly she was happy and warm and comfortable but this…when he had smiled down at her she had felt it to the tips of her toes.

"Rukia," said her brother, shaking her out of her thoughts.

She turned to him at once, startled, and then remembered herself and said with a slight nod, "Brother."

"We must see to the preparations for the banquet at the manor tonight. Come," he said.

"Yes, Brother," she said but then she paused. He had spoken to her but was not looking at her, not directly, instead his brow was slightly furrowed and his gaze seemed to skirt over her entirely. "Is anything the matter, Brother?" she asked.

He snapped his gaze to her as if surprised to see her there, and said, "Let us proceed." Then he started away without waiting for her reply. She exchanged a wide-eyed look with Renji and then quietly fell in step behind him. Whatever it was, he would tell her later, eventually…probably.

**ooo**

The maid had just finished arranging Rukia's hair into an elaborate knot with a set of solid gold heirloom kanzashi when there was a knock at the door and then, "Lady Kuchiki, do you have a minute?"

It was the steward, of all people. Odd. Rukia and the maid exchanged surprised looks and then Rukia dismissed the maid with a nod and replied, "Yes."

The door opened and in came the steward, a tall, thin man with black hair and even darker eyes who reminded Rukia of Ishida Uryuu—and probably Ichigo too, which was probably why he kept him around. He gave her a little bow, which she acknowledged with a nod and asked, "Is something the matter with the preparations? We have followed your instructions to the letter…"

"That is a very lovely kimono, my lady…is it new?" asked the steward.

"Uh…" said Rukia, mouth falling open in her confusion before she could stop herself. Then she said, "Yes, Brother had it specially commissioned for the banquet. It is not every day that the Soul Prince visits our home." She lifted her arms and turned a little for him to better observe the silver-white silk furisode depicting a scene of dancing cranes in a wintry landscape with matching dark blue obi. Pearls and semi-precious stones had been embroidered into the material to make it sparkle and glitter in the light. It had been nearly two years since she had worn something like this, the last had been Karin's wedding—goodness, the look on Ichigo's face when he found out, he must have flipped—and yet that kimono was nothing compared to this.

"Whooping cranes," said the steward, folding his arms with a hand to his chin, "they are such beautiful creatures." He flicked his gaze up to her face and said, "As are you, my lady. You have grown into a strong and beautiful woman. There is not a person who will be able to keep their eyes off of the loveliest lady of the Kuchiki…though I fear that is all they will ever be able to do. I have heard that your brother will accept nothing less than half the Seireitei as your bride price."

Rukia inhaled sharply, then straightened, hands falling to her side as the expressionless stare that was the Kuchiki mask on her face, and asked, "What is the meaning of this?"

The steward brought his hands together before him and said, "His Highness…has been keeping tabs on you over the years."

Rukia was as still as a statue, betraying nothing. He continued, unperturbed, "He has not stopped asking after you since your meeting on the hill. Even through his reunion with his sisters and your other friends, he would eventually bring you up in conversation."

"We know a number of the same people," said Rukia, face still carefully blank.

The steward lifted an eyebrow at that and said, "His Highness has not expressed as much concern for their well-being."

"Ichigo has always been overly protective of me, as he is of everyone," she said.

"Indeed," agreed the steward, folding his arms again, tapping his chin with a finger, "but none of them so…_obsessively_." He looked her in the eyes again and Rukia felt her heartbeat pick up again. He was serious. He broke the contact first, turning away, and said, "In ten minutes your brother should come to you or summon you, whichever way he prefers."

"What?" Rukia said, mouth falling open again before she could stop it at the sudden turn of the conversation.

The steward ignored it, continuing, "I suspect that he will first ask after the state of your division and the order of succession in the event that you are no longer available. He will then ask questions on the nature of your relationship with His Highness prior to His Highness' departure for the Royal Realm. Perhaps he will even ask if there is any reason to prevent your leaving this household and your division. It will not matter however, for whatever your response, if His Highness requests your company, you will not refuse him."

At this Rukia inhaled sharply and then snapped, "_What?_ How dare you? Who the—"

"Your friend, Inoue," said the steward, walking around Rukia now, looking over her kimono again. "It is common knowledge that she has been in love with His Highness for a very long time. Even after her marriage to your Quincy friend, His Highness' distant relation, she was said to 'carry a flame' for him. And now, here we are. She is so sweet and innocent and yet I think she would kill to have even an iota of the attention he has thus far showered on you."

"Does Ichigo know you're here?" demanded Rukia, losing her cool. She could feel the heat of her anger rising through her in a way she had not experienced in a century. Of course it would have to be because of Ichigo.

"His Highness must be aware of it, by now, yes. He has been tracking your reiatsu since our arrival and I suspect that he will not stop until we leave again," said the steward casually, making a second circuit of her. "As to whether he knows what we're discussing, no. And you will not inform him either. It is a great honour to be granted His Highness' favour. Right now, in your very house there are noblewomen from all over the Seireitei who are actively competing and scheming for a chance to make an impression on His Highness. While the Soul King has no need of a partner, as long as he is prince he can do as he pleases. Our Majesty has no need to rest, not for a long time yet, and so in that time His Highness may be able to restore the honour of his fallen clan…or secure the fortunes of another. Your brother appears uninterested in remarrying and the Kuchiki would forgive your background if the Twenty-Ninth Head was sired by the Soul King."

"You…I want you out of here, _now_!" Rukia snarled with hands clenched in fists before her.

He paused, lifted an eyebrow at her and said, "Your anger brings such wonderful colour to your skin."

She took a deep breath, counted to ten, exhaled and said, "I will hear no more of this. My brother will not mention it. You will not bring it up again. Ichigo would never approach me like that and even if he dared he knows that I would refuse and he would accept my refusal. I am a lady of the Kuchiki and Captain of the Thirteenth Division. You will not treat me like some simpering fool or scheming gold-digger with dreams of royal favour in her head!"

The steward just smiled and said, "My apologies, my lady. I forgot that in this realm you are already a queen." Then he bowed at the waist and quietly left.

Rukia barely waited for him to be out of the door before she threw her hairbrush after him. It hit the door instead and fell harmlessly to the floor.

**ooo**

Rukia could not say that she was really surprised to find Ichigo waiting for her at the end of the hall as she and her attendants made their way to the gardens for the party.

"Rukia," he said, smiling brightly.

There went her heartbeat again. She did not want to, remembering her conversation with the steward, but she smiled anyway and said, "Your Highness."

Now he scowled, and her smile widened. At the sight of it he snapped, "Aw, midget, didn't I tell you that you don't need to say that?"

She put her fan up over her smile and said, in that sweet voice he had always hated, "But Your Highness, it would not be proper for me to address you otherwise…there would be a scandal."

"Tsch," he said, rolling his eyes. Then, clearing his throat and bowing, he said, "Lady Kuchiki, will you do me the honour of allowing me to escort you to dinner?"

Bright spots of colour bloomed on Rukia's cheeks and her head suddenly felt rather light. Still, years of training meant that she betrayed none of this as she replied, "Of course, Your Highness…idiot."

He looked up at her then through his lashes, still bowed and Rukia's breath caught in her throat. Maybe it was her conversation with the steward, maybe it was her imagination, but the intensity of Ichigo's gaze at that moment warmed her to her toes. He kept that gaze on her too, as he straightened and then extended his arm to her. She took it with a small smile while desperately trying to crush the thrill rising in her chest and the nervousness from her reiatsu. If Ichigo noticed, he did not comment on it as he led her out to the great hall and the waiting banquet.

Belatedly, as in the moment just before they went through the doors to greet the guests, Rukia realised that her fancy white kimono may not have been such a good idea. Especially since Ichigo was dressed, as usual, in a simple black kimono with his family crest embroidered on his breast and a series of Quincy crosses at the hem. They looked like a newlywed couple heading into their reception.

It was, unfortunately, too late to turn back and Ichigo tightened his grip on her arm to prevent her from pulling away. When she looked up at him in confusion, he replied, not looking down at her, "I haven't seen you in a hundred years, can we just walk together?"

"I'm supposed to follow you at two paces. You are the guest of honour and the Heir Apparent. It would not be proper," she replied.

He sighed, rolled his eyes and released her. She smiled and made a show of fixing the sleeve of her furisode, but that caught his attention and he asked, "How come you're not married yet? What happened to Renji? Byakuya scared him off?"

Rukia paused and looked at him, wondering where that question came from. That damned steward no doubt. But Ichigo just stared back at her, waiting for an answer and she replied, "He became Captain of the Eigth and I became Captain of the Thirteenth. We had no time for anything else. And…well, I hear that Brother will accept nothing less than half the Seireitei for my dowry."

Ichigo's eyes went wide and his mouth fell open, just as the doors to the banquet were drawn open so of course the first image the guests would see was the Heir Apparent gaping at her like a blinking idiot. Rukia rolled her eyes and forced herself not to sink her face into her palm. One of them had to look dignified.

Half an hour into the banquet and Rukia found her thoughts drifting back to the conversation with that odious steward who, she was happy to say, was nothing at all like Uryu because Uryu was a gentleman and this man was simply…odious. But he may also have been correct about something because Ichigo had not allowed her to drift from his side all evening. In fact, the first order of business when they got to the head table was for him to rearrange the seating a little to bring Rukia right beside him. The steward was odious but Ichigo was oblivious, the idiot. He simply refused to see the way this looked, the way this was going to look the next day in the papers and in the whispers spreading through the Seireitei like wildfire: _"Did you see the way he kept her beside him all night, the rumours are true!"_

She glanced over at Ichigo, deep in conversation with some noble and a young woman who had to be the man's daughter, and noticed something else. Ichigo was smiling again. When last she had seen him, just before he left on the pillar to the Royal Realm, he had scowled at her. She had shouted at him for looking sad and when had retorted that _of course he was sad, he was not going to see any of them again for one hundred years_, she had scoffed and stated that she was not ever going to address him as 'Your Highness', and then he had scowled.

Of course she had done just that earlier and he had scowled then but for the most part, he had spent the day smiling. How had she gone so long without noticing? He turned to look at her then—she had been staring at him for too long—and instead of the expected scowl with maybe a suspicious look for good measure, he let a small smile form. It was so warm and tender it almost made her want to fall into his arms. Instead she quickly looked away and smoothed an imaginary wrinkle in the fold of her kimono. This was so not good.

In the hundred years that had passed since their departure and reunion, Rukia had made a name for herself in the Gotei Thirteen. Before she had been another man's pawn, a piece to be pushed around a board in an elaborate game to make himself king. Now though she was a respected leader, an experienced soldier, a trusted friend and advisor. She was not a silly little girl who could not think straight for the sight of her crush. She was a grown woman who knew how to handle things like "feelings" and could keep her emotions in check when the situation required. Too bad, Ichigo had come blustering back after a hundred years and not caring one whit about any of that, threatened to undo everything she worked so hard to achieve with a smile. _A goddamned smile_.

She could not take any more of this. Without another word she stood up and headed to the nearest available door. She needed air. She needed quiet. She needed to be as far away from Kurosaki Ichigo as she could.

She thought she heard him call her name but it was her brother who stopped her. "Rukia," he said, appearing just before the doors to the garden that had been drawn apart for their guests to observe the fireflies.

"Nii-sama," she said dropping her gaze to the floor.

She could not look at him and especially if he was going to ask her if everything was alright. Especially if he mentioned anything the steward had said. But when he spoke he said, "Do you want me to ask them to leave?"

She snapped her gaze up at him, stunned, to find him not looking at her but back towards the party. "It would cause some gossip but nothing to be truly concerned about. I would have had them gone much earlier but I know that you wished to spend some time with Kurosaki Ichigo at least. Though I suppose that is no longer the case?"

She opened her mouth to reply just Ichigo got to them, and asked, "Rukia, did I do something wrong?"

The question was so unexpected that she swung round to face him and snapped before she could think better of it, "Stop smiling, you idiot!"

His mouth fell open and his eyes went wide. Again with the gaping thing. Rukia rolled her eyes and stalked out onto the veranda. She did not have to look back to know that he had followed her, or that her brother had vanished but she did not care. She stepped off the veranda and into the garden, then across it heading to her brother's prized koi pond. The moonlight silvered her gown and the carefully-tended grounds. It was so bright she could almost see her reflection in the water beneath the bridge. The koi, expecting food, surfaced just as Ichigo got to her.

"Rukia, what's going on?" he asked.

She did not turn to look at him. He had stopped just at the edge of the little bridge, looking up at her. She debated whether or not she should say anything, whether she needed to, and said, "Nothing."

"It's not 'nothing'," he said. She could practically hear the scowl. "You're acting weird. What's going on?"

This time she turned to him, cloaking herself in that familiar feeling, anger, and snapped, "I'm acting weird? Me? You're the one who's weird! Telling me not to bow and escorting me to the party and keeping tabs on me and—"

"Wait, Rukia, 'keeping tabs'?" he asked, cutting across her rant.

She shut her mouth and looked away from him again. He started up the bridge towards her and she backed away. He stopped and said, "Rukia, I told everyone that they did not have to bow, and we were walking in together anyway and as for keeping tabs…well, Rukia…I just…"

"So he was telling the truth," said Rukia, still not looking at him.

Ichigo fell silent and she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and said, "Is there something you want to say to me, Ichigo?"

He walked until he stood beside her on the bridge, leaned on the railing and replied, "You are more beautiful than I remember."

She opened her eyes and looked at him, stunned. He was smiling back down at her, his cheeks pink but he let his gaze drift off her face in a manner that was distinctly boyish. For a moment though she could not think of what to say, and then he said, "I had been hoping that you would have been there when we descended."

She leaned back, and glared at him. "I'm a captain, fool, protocol demands that I be there."

He looked her directly in the eyes as he said, "Just you. No one else but you."

Now it was her turn to blush and look away and she stammered, "F-fool, this is…you can hardly expect me to show up alone to greet a visiting official!"

He chuckled and a moment later she felt his hand in her hair, tugging on the errant lock that fell between her eyes despite her maid's best efforts. She looked up at him at this and he said, "I didn't care about that. I just wanted to see you, only you, for once. I've waited one hundred years for this reunion; you can hardly expect me to care about protocol."

Her heart skipped a beat. She pulled away from him, turned her back and said, "Your steward said that I should be honoured to have your favour."

"Che," grunted Ichigo, and he said, "Ignore him, he's an ass. He means well but he can be an ass about it and if he insulted you, he will pay for it."

It was so like Ichigo that Rukia smiled at that, even if he could not see it, and said, "There is no need. He is nothing to me. He's just lucky Nii-sama didn't take his head."

"Rukia," said Ichigo again, in that soft voice that somehow conveyed command. She turned back to him and he said, "I'm sorry. You don't deserve that…no one deserves to be treated that way. It's my fault, I just…I was just so glad to be able to see you aga—"

"Orihime tried to wait for you, you know," said Rukia, cutting across him.

"What?" said Ichigo, momentarily confused and then he scowled and said, "Cut it out midget, I'm trying to say something serious here."

It did not piss her off, in fact the "nickname" made her cheeks heat up and the skin beneath her white makeup flush prettily but she kicked him anyway. "Ow! What the hell!" he cried out, hopping.

She could not help it; she started cackling at the sight of him. But that was a mistake. He took advantage of her lapse to seize her about the waist and pull her into his arms and when she gasped, looking up at him in surprise, he bent forward and kissed her.

He pulled away just as quickly, releasing her as if burned and for a moment she just stood there, frozen, not quite believing that Ichigo, of all people, _Ichigo_ had just stolen a kiss from her. And then she realised that, yes, he had, and yes, he was still standing there looking at once pleased with himself and terrified of her reaction and that brought her back to her senses and she launched herself at him to hit him about the head. He caught her before she could land the first blow and said, "I'm not sorry."

She glared at him but there was no heat behind it because, again, he had just stolen a kiss and she had not minded it and oh goodness, she was just like those women she had told the steward she wasn't like and this was bad. Then Ichigo said, "Rukia, come on, say something. I…I didn't mean to do it like that but you didn't say anything…"

She shook her head and he fell silent. Then she took a breath and said, "That is not the proper way to kiss a lady of the Kuchiki, especially one who is a captain."

He looked at her wide-eyed. She put on her haughtiest expression even as her heart raced and she thought she would die of embarrassment if anyone saw them right then. But, well, it was not like she could lie to herself about what was going on. Sure, she did not think she felt the same way that he did but there was attraction there, and was it so wrong if she wanted to find out if maybe, just maybe it was mutual?

She let him approach her again, taking one of her slim, pale hands into his larger, tanned one and he asked, in that low, manly voice that was just plain unfair, "So what is the proper way?"

She smiled at him.


End file.
